“Life Changes” is the title track on Thomas Rhett’s new album and a perfect intro for this blog post. I saw Rhett perform it on ABC’s CMA Fest and knew I wanted to know more about him. I’m not a huge country music fan, but I like some of the songs, and this one especially caught my attention. I listened to the lyrics and thought, This guy is a Christian! And that turned out to be true. You might enjoy listening to his song too.
In the last stanza, he talks about adopting a child from Uganda. During the adoption process, his wife found out she was pregnant. They have two little girls under the age of two. Their story is the subject of the song “Life Changes.”
Rhett met his wife, Lauren, in the first grade, and they married right out of college. He and Lauren did an interview for the university he attended and said they truly believe that they have been given this platform for more than just entertaining and writing hit songs. The couple said, “No matter what, [we] are extremely grateful for this journey that God has [us] on in the music industry.” Their lives are crazy right now with an album launch, two little girls, and all the other details of life. The chorus of the song says it well:
“Ain’t it funny how life changes
You wake up ain’t nothing the same and life changes
You can’t stop it just hop on the train
You never know what’s gonna happen
You make your plans and you hear God laughing
Life changes, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, the world, oh no
And I wouldn’t change it for the world, the world, oh no”
Life does change. When I married Jim, I thought I would be a professor’s wife. Then he became a pastor and I hoped I would make a good pastor’s wife. (That is a story for a different blog post!) Then, Jim felt called to leave his really BIG church and begin this ministry . . . in the middle of an economic recession and with two sons still in college and graduate school. Life changes—and so did the color of my hair. (Well . . . at least the roots.)
As Jim’s wife, I have been a real estate agent, a church secretary, a second-grade schoolteacher, a stay-at-home mom, a stay-at-home mom / pastor’s wife / Sunday School teacher / Bible study leader / author / speaker, and now I am a JanetDenison.org blogger / Bible study teacher / speaker / ChristianParenting.org brand manager and, because life changes . . . an occasional podcaster.
Life changes and so does this ministry. God continues to grow it, and I want to invite you to the next “life change” for ChristianParenting.org. Cynthia Yanof has been a huge blessing to this ministry, and she has started “Pardon the Mess,” the new podcast of ChristianParenting.org and it’s as real, raw, and heartfelt as it sounds. We want to invite you into an honest conversation about the challenges and joys of parenting so you can see you’re not alone, no matter what you, your kids, your grandkids or someone you know are going through. She has already recorded several episodes, and you will hear her interview people like Mike Singletary, Michael W. Smith, Chip Waggoner, Kay Wyma, and even a teacher / pastor’s wife / blogger: me. We have a couple episodes ready for you to hear now and more standing in the lineup. (Rumor has it she will be interviewing Joni Eareckson Tada in the fall.) Sign up to be notified when a new ‘Pardon the Mess’ podcast goes out.
And I have a huge favor to ask of all my readers. It’s a BIG deal if you give us good ratings and leave a favorable comment on the podcast page. We really need your help. You will find instructions for how to do this below. This blogger / teacher / speaker / podcaster is grateful for all of you. Thank you for helping us extend this ministry to people we may never meet this side of heaven.
Life changes and changed lives is why we do this ministry. Thanks for helping this ministry thrive.
How to leave a review on the Pardon the Mess Podcast in iTunes:
- Open iTunes on your computer or the Podcasts App on your iPhone.
- Search for “Pardon the Mess – A Christian Parenting Podcast”.
- Select the “Pardon the Mess – A Christian Parenting Podcast” by clicking the logo.
- Click the Ratings and Reviews tab at the top. (If on mobile, scroll down to find Ratings and Reviews.)
- Select “Write a Review,” under the Customer Reviews headline and let us know what you think!
Thank you so much for taking the time to help the Pardon the Mess podcast get more exposure, so that more parents can get the trusted guidance they need!
Get started by clicking here and then clicking the blue “View in iTunes” button on the left.
